Starting from 1 January 2023, Croatia will officially become a Schengen Area Member Country and will also adopt the euro as its currency after years of intensive preparations and work. In honour of Croatia meeting these two milestones, the European Union Commission has released a statement congratulating the country and highlighting the importance of this date for both Croatia and Europe. This is as informed by a news report in Schengen Visa.

“On January 1, 2023, Croatia will adopt the euro as its currency and will fully join the Schengen area. This marks an important milestone in the history of Croatia, of the euro and Schengen area, and of the EU as a whole,” the statement reads.

It further points out that with Croatia joining the Schengen Area, now the zone consists of 27 Member States, 23 of which are also EU countries. The Eurozone, in the meantime, now consists of 19 EU Member States and 347 million EU citizens that will share it as their common currency.

Commenting on Croatia’s Schengen accession and the adoption of the euro, the President of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, expressed her warm welcome for the citizens of Croatia in the borderless zone, pointing out that border controls between Croatia and the rest of the Schengen Area will now become part of the past.

“From this Sunday, citizens driving to and from Croatia can start travelling without internal border controls. The Schengen enlargement makes us stronger, and Croatia can now fully contribute to a more prosperous and resilient Schengen area,” she said.

She also highlighted the importance of Croatians joining the 347 million Europeans using the euro as their currency, calling it a symbolic moment for the euro area as a whole.

Croatia’s Schengen accession has been welcomed by the Vice-President, Margaritis Schinas, who named it “a milestone in Croatia’s European path and a fully deserved one,” and the Commissioner for Economy Paolo Gentiloni, who called Croatia’s progress “an incredible journey over the past three decades.”

Whereas the Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, was the only one who mentioned Romania and Bulgaria in the hopes that they would soon become part of the Schengen Area too. “I am proud of the work the Commission and Croatia have done together so that Croatians can benefit from this historic step forward. In that respect, I remain personally committed to both Romania and Bulgaria becoming members in the near future,” she said.

Schengen Area Member Country and will also adopt the euro as its currency after years of intensive preparations and work